There are 12 stored owner reports matching the lighting leading-label group for the 2002 Volkswagen Beetle in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 12 of 12 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)SERIOUS ELECTRICAL LONG TERM QUALITY ISSUES, STARTING WITH UNDER HOOD WIRING FOR GLOW PLUGS MELTED AWAY, AIR BAG/SEAT BELT WIRING BROKE/FAILED, SEAT HEATER FAILED, PASSENGER DOOR SWITCH FAILED, TURN SIGNAL BULB HOLDER FAILED, REPEATED HEAD LAMP AND TAIL LIGHT FAILURES, ALTERNATOR PULLEY CLUTCH FAILED(EXPLODED) FACTORY ALARM PROBLEMS - JUST SETS OFF, AIR BACK LIGHT ON DASH ON, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON. *TR
2002 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE. CONSUMER WRITES REGARDING REPLACEMENT BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS THE SAME SWITCH THAT WA REPLACED UNDER RECALL.
I OWN TWO OF THE VW NEW BEETLES. ONE IS 2002 AND THE OTHER IS 2003. BOTH OF THEM HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE TAILLIGHT/STOPLIGHT AND TURN SIGNALS NOT WORKING DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CONTACT DESIGN IN THE BULB SOCKET. IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE ASSEMBLY OUT AND BEND THE CONTACT TO PUT MORE SPRING IN THEM WHICH PUTS MORE PRESSURE AGAINST THE BULB. THIS MAY FIX THE PROBLEM FOR A TIME ( 1 TO 60 DAYS) THEN THE PROBLEM REVERTS. ALL PARTS ARE OEM EQUIPMENT. I HAVE CONTACTED VW ABOUT THIS AND THERE IS NOT A RECALL. I WOULD THINK THAT TURN SIGNALS AND TAIL LIGHTS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY FAMILIES SAFETY AND DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A MANDATORY RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED. *TR
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2002 VW NEW BEETLE AS IN PE 04073: TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT. THE FLASHER DOES NOT WORK CONSISTENTLY: IT STARTS, THEN STOPS AFTER ONE OR TWO BLINKS. THE TIMING OF THE BLINKS ARE ALSO ERRATIC. MY MODEL NEEDS TO BE COVERED BY THIS RECALL. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A NHTSA RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED INDICATING THE BRAKE SAFETY SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT PRESENTED ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH YET. THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP WAS 130 MILES FROM THE LOCALITY. THE CONTACT ASKED THE MANUFACTURER FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART TO PERFORM THE REPAIR AT AN INDEPENDENT AUTHORIZED CERTIFIED MECHANIC OR OTHER TRUSTED DEALERSHIP. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED THE PROPOSAL. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE IN CASES WERE NO DEALERSHIP WERE PRESENT IN THE AREA.
I HAVE A 2002 VW BEETLE AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK BECAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED. I KNOW THEY HAVE RECALLED OTHER BEETLES FOR THIS BUT WHEN I CALLED VW THEY SAID IT WAS NOT RECALLED ON MY VEHICLE. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF PARK DURING FAILURE OF THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WAS REPLACED 4 TIMES. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL # 06V183000 WHICH PERTAINED TO THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.
THE EPC LIGHT COMES ON THE DASH. I WAS TOLD THIS IS DUE TO A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH THAT WILL GO OUT. THIS CAUSES CRUISE CONTROL TO GO OUT, BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT WORK, AND DIFFICULTY GETTING YOUR GEARSHIFT OUT OF PARK OR NEUTRAL.*AK
THE TURN SIGNALS TO NOT WORK. CONSUMER HAS TO REMOVE THE BULB AND REPLACE THEM TO MAKE THEM WORK. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR THE ONGOING PROBLEM, AND THE DEALER HAS ONLY REPLACED THE BULBS.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE BULBS THAT WHERE REPLACED WHERE NOT BURNT OUT AND THE PROBLEM RESIDES IN THE SOCKET. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SOCKET AND THE BULB IS NOT SOUND AND THEREFORE THE BULB RATTLES. AFTER TIGHTENING THE BULB WILL WORK A FEW DAYS AND THEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. THE DEALER JUST TIGHTENS THE BULB BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. *TC
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS FAILED TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.
EACH TIME I SELECT THE TURN SIGNAL IT NOW BLINKS A COUPLE TIMES AND THEN STOPS WORKING. THE HAZARD LIGHTS WORK FINE. *TR
WHEN FOLLOWING THIS VEHICLE IN BRIGHT SUN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE BRAKE LIGHTS OR THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS ON THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE SUN JUST WASHES THEN OUT. THEY NEED TO BE MOUNTED VERTICALLY AND NOT ON A SLOPE AS THEY ARE NOW.*JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.